MINISTEROFINTERNATIONALTRADEANDINDUSTRY

MALAYSIA

Embargo until 1200 hours,Thursday, 7th January 2016

MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE STATISTICS

TRADE PERFORMANCE FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY- NOVEMBER 2015

AND THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2015 #

Minister of International Trade and IndustryMalaysia

Trade Surplus Surged by 17.3% in the First Eleven Months 2015

Malaysia’s trade strengthened in the first eleven months of 2015 to record a growth

of 1.1% to RM1.337 trillion compared with the same period of 2014. Expansion in

trade with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the United States of America (USA),

ASEAN, the European Union (EU), Turkey, India and Taiwan were the main

contributors to the increase. The achievement was also supported by improved export

performance recorded since June 2015 which resulted in a cumulative expansion of

1.9% to RM711.65 billion for the period of January to November 2015.

Imports during January to November 2015 was valued at RM625.34 billion

compared with RM624.48 billion registered in the same period of 2014 while trade

surplus surged by 17.3% to RM86.31 billion.

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

2

November 2015 - Exports Higher by 6.3%

Exports in November 2015 increased by 6.3% year-on-year to RM67.63 billion while

imports expanded by 9.1% to RM57.39 billion. This resulted in trade increasing by

7.6% to RM125.02 billion. Trade surplus valued at RM10.23 billion, decreased by

6.9%. It was the 217th consecutive months of trade surplus recorded since November

1997.

Performance of Major Sectors

Overall, export performance in January to November 2015 was driven mainly by

higher exports of manufactured goods, in particular, electrical and electronic (E&E)

products which cushioned the contraction in exports of both agricultural and mining

goods.

Exports of E&E Higher by RM20 Billion

Exports of manufactured goods for the 11 months of 2015 grew by 6.5% or

RM34.88 billion to RM569.89 billion, accounting for 80% of Malaysia’s total exports.

The increase was supported mainly by higher exports of E&E products especially

electronic integrated circuits as well as photosensitive semiconductor devices. Exports

of E&E products during the period were valued at RM253.12 billion, an increase of

8.7% from last year, with contribution of 35.6% share to Malaysia’s total exports.

Apart from E&E products, the increase in exports were also contributed by higher

exports of manufactures of metal, machinery, appliances and parts, chemicals and

chemical products, rubber products, optical and scientific equipment, transport

equipment and processed food. All manufactured subsectors recorded positive export

growth during the period except for petroleum products as well as iron and steel

products.

During the first eleven months of 2015, exports of agricultural goods amounted to

RM61.72 billion, 2.7% lower from the same period of 2014. This was mainly caused

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

3

by lower exports of palm oil and palm-based products which decreased by RM2.34

billion or 5.3% to RM41.92 billion. Exports of natural rubber also declined, by 11.4% to

RM3.72 billion. Agricultural goods accounted for 8.7% of Malaysia’s total exports.

Exports of mining goods fell 20.2% to RM75.85 billion due mainly to lower exports of

liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude petroleum. Lower exports of both LNG and

crude petroleum were caused by contraction in the Average Unit Value (AUV). Mining

goods contributed 10.7% to Malaysia’s total exports in January to November 2015.

Major exports in the period of January to November 2015 were:

Electrical and electronic products valued at RM253.12 billion, with a share of

35.6% of total exports, increased by 8.7% from January to November 2014;

Petroleum products (RM50.95 billion, 7.2%, ↓21.6%);

Chemicals and chemical products (RM50.45 billion, 7.1%, ↑8%);

LNG (RM43.27 billion, 6.1%, ↓25.1%); and

Palm oil and palm-based products (palm oil; palm kernel oil and other palm based

products) (RM41.92 billion, 5.9%, ↓5.3%).

In November 2015, exports of manufactured goods grew by 9% to RM54.03 billion.

Exports of agricultural goods increased by 9.2% to RM5.64 billion while exports of

mining goods declined by 11% to RM7.6 billion.

Significant increases in exports of manufactured goods in November 2015 were

recorded for manufactures of metal by RM1.31 billion, petroleum products (↑RM1.17

billion), machinery, appliances and parts (↑RM427.3 million), optical and scientific

equipment (↑RM313.9 million), chemicals and chemical products (↑RM243.8 million)

as well as processed food (↑RM209.8 million). Exports of E&E products recorded a

marginal increase of 0.6% or RM128.3 million to RM23.11 billion.

Growth in exports of agricultural goods was mainly supported by increased exports

of palm oil and palm-based products, by 7.2% or RM256 million. Exports of palm oil in

November 2015 amounted to RM3.24 billion, increased by 4.3% or RM133.7 million

contributed mainly by higher quantity.

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

4

Lower exports of mining goods in November 2015 was affected mainly by contraction

in exports of LNG by 20.5% or RM1.04 billion caused by lower AUV.

Performance of Major Markets

28% Share of Exports to ASEAN

Exports to ASEAN in the first eleven months of 2015 were valued at RM199.77

billion, accounting for 28% share of Malaysia’s total exports. Total exports to this

region grew by 2.4% or RM4.59 billion. The increase were attributed mainly to higher

exports of E&E products (electronic integrated circuits), crude petroleum, machinery,

appliances and parts (parts for civil engineering and contractors' plant equipment) as

well as chemicals and chemical products (polymer of ethylene).

Trade with ASEAN expanded by 2.7% to RM365.46 billion. Imports were higher by

3.1% to RM165.69 billion contributed largely by higher imports of E&E products,

transport equipment as well as palm oil and palm-based products.

Breakdown of exports to ASEAN countries as follows:

Singapore RM 98.82 billion, declined by 0.4%

Thailand RM 40.58 billion, ↑10.1%

Indonesia RM 26.55 billion, ↓10%

Vietnam RM 15.72 billion, ↑22.5%

Philippines RM 12.03 billion, ↑9%

Myanmar RM 2.71 billion, ↑11%

Brunei RM 2.49 billion, ↓1.6%

Cambodia RM 809.0 million, ↑11.1%

Lao PDR RM 48.1 million, ↓29%

Lower exports to Singapore in January to November 2015 were due to decreased

exports of petroleum products, by RM9.34 billion. The decline, however, was

cushioned by increased exports of E&E products (electronic integrated circuits),

machinery, appliances and parts (parts for civil engineering and contractors’ plant

equipment) as well as crude petroleum which resulted in a marginal decrease of 0.4%.

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

5

Exports to Thailand rose RM3.73 billion, supported by higher exports of crude

petroleum and E&E products (television reception apparatus) while growth in exports

to Vietnam by RM2.88 billion was on account of higher exports of petroleum products,

machinery, appliances and parts as well as chemicals and chemical products. Exports

to Indonesia declined by RM2.95 billion affected mainly by lower exports of petroleum

products.

In November 2015, exports to ASEAN rose 6.2% to RM19.01 billion while imports

surged by 19.3% to RM15.8 billion compared with November 2014. This has resulted

in a higher trade of RM34.81 billion, increased by 11.8%. Trade with ASEAN

accounted for 27.8% of Malaysia’s total trade in November 2015. Main imports from

ASEAN were E&E products, petroleum products as well as chemicals and chemical

products.

Exports to the PRC Up 11.6%

For the period of January to November 2015, exports to the PRC turned around

sharply from -3.7% registered in January to November 2014 to 11.6% or RM9.69

billion to RM93.17 billion. This was contributed by higher exports of petroleum

products, metalliferous ores, chemicals and chemical products, manufactures of metal

as well as E&E products.

Imports from the PRC in January to November 2015 were valued at RM117.46

billion, an increase of 12.3% from January to November 2014. This was due to higher

imports of clothing, E&E products as well as machinery, appliances and parts. The

PRC remained as Malaysia’s largest trading partner, registering trade expansion of

12% to RM210.63 billion.

In November 2015, trade with the PRC rose 15.6% to RM21.26 billion compared with

November 2014. Exports to the PRC grew by 14.2% or RM1.22 billion to RM9.75

billion, 6 consecutive months of double digit growth recorded since June 2015.

Imports increased by 16.8% to RM11.5 billion, the largest source of imports for the

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

6

country. Main imports from the PRC were E&E products, machinery, appliances and

parts as well as manufactures of metal.

Expansion of 8.6% in Exports to the EU

Exports to the EU grew 8.6% or RM5.69 billion to RM71.84 billion during the first

eleven month of 2015. Among 10 EU major markets, namely, the Netherlands,

Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden and

the Czech Republic, only Poland registered contraction in exports. In terms of

products, higher exports to the EU were mainly contributed by E&E products which

increased by RM3.55 billion (computers and data processing equipment). E&E

products, as major exports to the EU, contributed 50.4% to Malaysia’s total exports to

the region. Other products that also contributed to the increase were rubber gloves,

transport equipment (aircraft parts), machinery, appliances and parts (pumps,

compressors, fans, centrifuges and parts), manufactures of metal (zinc alloys),

petroleum products as well as optical and scientific equipment (instruments and

appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences).

Imports from the EU were lower by 1.5% to RM63.79 billion while trade with the EU

expanded by 3.6% to RM135.62 billion.

Trade with the EU in November 2015 decreased by 2.1% to RM12.18 billion from last

year as a result of lower imports, by 9.8% to RM5.73 billion. Exports, however, rose

5.9% to RM6.46 billion mainly due to higher exports of palm oil and palm-based

products which increased by 43.5%.

Double Digit Growth in Exports to the USA

Strong export growth was seen to the USA by 14.3% in January to November 2015

following continuous and growing demand from the country, particularly for Malaysia’s

manufactured exports. Exports to the USA increased by RM8.31 billion to RM66.61

billion led by higher exports of photosensitive semiconductor devices, rubber gloves,

wooden bedroom furniture, machinery, appliances and parts (parts and accessories

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

7

for machines & apparatus for manufacture of semiconductors) as well as optical and

scientific equipment (instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or

veterinary sciences).

Imports from the USA rose 6.1% to RM50.44 billion, resulting in a total trade of

RM117.05 billion, an increase of 10.6%.

Total trade with the USA increased by 11.9% to RM10.69 billion in November 2015.

Exports rose 9.2% to RM6.07 billion while imports grew by 15.6% to RM4.63 billion.

LNG Exports to Japan Declined

Exports to Japan in January to November 2015 registered a negative growth of 11%

to RM67.35 billion due mainly to large contraction of LNG exports, by RM10.45 billion.

LNG accounted for 41.2% share of total exports to Japan. Exports of manufactured

goods to Japan, however, continued to expand with 8.9% growth or RM2.87 billion,

benefiting from higher exports of E&E products mainly electronic integrated circuits.

Exports of E&E products to Japan increased by 9.3% or RM1.42 billion to RM16.77

billion. Other manufactured goods that contributed to the increase were manufactures

of metal, optical and scientific equipment, machinery, appliances and parts as well as

chemicals and chemical products.

Imports from Japan were lower by 2.3% to RM49.03 billion while trade with Japan

declined by 7.6% to RM116.38 billion.

In November 2015, trade with Japan contracted by 11.2% to RM10.3 billion,

comprising total exports and imports of RM6.15 billion and RM4.15 billion,

respectively. Exports to Japan down 17.4% while imports sustained at the same value

recorded in November 2014.

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

8

Trade with FTA Partners

In January to November 2015, total trade with Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

partners amounted to RM846.61 billion, increased by 2%. Imports rose 4.5% to

RM396.48 billion while exports remained at RM450.13 billion compared with

RM450.47 billion registered in the same period last year. Among FTA partners, higher

exports to Turkey were attributed to increased exports of palm oil and palm-based

products as well as chemicals and chemical products.

Total trade with FTA partners amounted to RM81.37 billion and accounted for 65.1%

of Malaysia’s trade in November 2015.

Imports

Total imports in January to November 2015 were valued at RM625.34 billion from

RM624.48 billion recorded in the same period of 2014. The three main categories of

imports by end use were intermediate goods which accounted for 58.2% share of

total imports, decreased by 3% to RM363.64 billion, due mainly to lower imports of

petroleum products, capital goods (RM87.89 billion, 14.1% share, ↑1.8%) contributed

mainly by higher imports of telecommunication equipment and consumption goods

(RM56.16 billion, 9% share, ↑22.8%) with higher imports of garments and food

products.

Imports in November 2015 totalled RM57.39 billion compared with RM52.6 billion

recorded in November 2014. The three main categories of imports by end use were

intermediate goods which accounted for 55.5% share of total imports, increased by

1.5% to RM31.84 billion, due to higher imports of electronic integrated circuits, capital

goods (RM8.16 billion, 14.2% share, ↑2.6%) with higher imports of trucks and

consumption goods (RM5.82 billion, 10.1% share, ↑43.8%) contributed by higher

imports of food products and garments.

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

9

Note:

It should be noted that, conceptually, the export and import figures in the external trade statistics are different

from that in the goods account of the balance of payments compilation. The compilation of international

merchandise trade statistics is usually based on customs records, which essentially reflect the physical

movement of goods across borders, and follow international guidelines on concepts and definitions, which do

not fully conform to the principles of the System of National Accounts (SNA) and the Balance of Payments

Compilation. Goods are defined in the SNA as “physical objects for which a demand exists, over which

ownership rights can be established and whose ownership can be transferred from one institutional unit to

another by engaging in transactions on markets”.

This is a preliminary release, full details would be published in the “MONTHLY EXTERNAL TRADE

STATISTICS” report by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia, to be disseminated at 1200 hours, Thursday,

7th

January 2016.

+ This report can be accessed through the homepages of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry

(http://www.miti.gov.my) and Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (http://www.matrade.gov.my).

The November 2015 data is provisional and subject to revision in later issue.

With effect from reference month September 2015, there are some minor changes to the selection of codes for

exports and imports of major and selected products/commodities.

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

10

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF MALAYSIA’S EXTERNAL TRADE

Year/ Total Exports Total Imports Trade Balance Total Trade

Period (RM Million) (RM Million) (RM Million) (RM Million)

2014f

January 64,053.5 57,609.5 6,444.0 121,663.0February 58,927.6 48,478.0 10,449.6 107,405.6March 64,892.9 55,428.4 9,464.5 120,321.3April 66,197.6 57,488.3 8,709.2 123,685.9May 64,750.5 59,162.8 5,587.7 123,913.3June 61,202.2 57,120.4 4,081.9 118,322.6July 61,062.7 57,476.5 3,586.1 118,539.2August 63,890.1 60,019.8 3,870.4 123,909.9

September 64,502.7 55,193.5 9,309.2 119,696.2October 64,986.5 63,903.7 1,082.8 128,890.2November 63,590.9 52,599.1 10,991.8 116,190.0December 67,359.7 58,457.2 8,902.5 125,816.9

2014 (Jan-Dec)f 765,416.9 682,937.1 82,479.7 1,448,354.0

2015p

January 63,604.8 54,647.7 8,957.1 118,252.5

February 53,168.7 48,613.6 4,555.1 101,782.3March 66,466.4 58,644.6 7,821.8 125,111.1April 60,381.7 53,516.6 6,865.1 113,898.3May 60,453.9 54,941.0 5,512.9 115,395.0June 64,258.4 56,280.1 7,978.3 120,538.5July 63,216.7 60,850.3 2,366.3 124,067.0August 66,499.0 56,336.9 10,162.1 122,835.9September 70,161.3 60,470.9 9,690.4 130,632.2October 75,810.2 63,645.6 12,164.6 139,455.7November 67,627.6 57,393.1 10,234.5 125,020.6

2014 (Jan-Nov)f 698,057.2 624,480.0 73,577.2 1,322,537.1

2015 (Jan-Nov)p 711,648.7 625,340.5 86,308.2 1,336,989.2

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

11

TABLE 2: MAJOR EXPORT PRODUCTS

ProductsNov

2015pOct

2015pNov

2014f

RM Million RM Million RM Million

Total Exports 67,627.6 75,810.2 63,590.9

Electrical & Electronic Products 23,106.9 26,245.4 22,978.6

Petroleum Products 5,926.0 5,422.7 4,751.8

Chemicals & Chemical Products 4,526.2 5,290.9 4,282.4

LNG 4,045.2 4,564.8 5,089.0

Palm Oil & Palm-Based Products (palm oil;palm kernel oil & other palm basedproducts)

3,816.7 4,446.2 3,560.7

Manufactures of Metal 3,633.7 4,385.2 2,320.4

Machinery, Appliances & Parts 2,885.2 3,621.5 2,457.9

Crude Petroleum 2,674.0 2,432.2 2,744.8

Optical & Scientific Equipment 2,229.9 2,712.1 1,916.1Rubber Products 1,739.7 1,986.6 1,540.6

TABLE 3: MAJOR EXPORT MARKETS

MarketsNov

2015pOct

2015pNov

2014f

RM Million RM Million RM Million

Total Exports 67,627.6 75,810.2 63,590.9PRC 9,752.0 9,188.5 8,536.0Singapore 9,104.2 10,494.9 8,900.8Japan 6,146.4 6,944.2 7,443.3USA 6,065.8 7,297.6 5,556.6Thailand 3,898.4 4,114.1 3,560.9Hong Kong 2,914.6 2,904.1 3,005.4India 2,635.2 3,133.5 2,492.3Australia 2,621.0 3,522.9 2,892.0Taiwan 2,589.9 2,533.9 1,758.1Indonesia 2,521.5 2,501.9 2,697.1

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

12

TABLE 4: MAJOR EXPORT PRODUCTS (JANUARY-NOVEMBER)

ProductsJan-Nov

2015pJan-Nov

2014f

RM Million RM Million

Total Exports 711,648.7 698,057.2

Electrical & Electronic Products 253,115.9 232,826.2

Petroleum Products 50,948.3 64,961.6

Chemicals & Chemical Products 50,451.6 46,733.4

LNG 43,269.7 57,743.9

Palm Oil & Palm-Based Products (palm oil;palm kernel oil & other palm based products)

41,924.8 44,261.8

Machinery, Appliances & Parts 32,732.4 27,295.2

Manufactures of Metal 31,623.3 23,613.7

Crude Petroleum 23,924.2 30,435.1

Optical & Scientific Equipment 23,498.3 21,743.7

Rubber Products 18,390.6 16,453.5

TABLE 5: MAJOR EXPORT MARKETS (JANUARY-NOVEMBER)

MarketsJan-Nov

2015pJan-Nov

2014f

RM Million RM Million

Total Exports 711,648.7 698,057.2Singapore 98,824.8 99,188.6PRC 93,169.2 83,482.7Japan 67,349.3 75,713.6USA 66,612.8 58,301.1Thailand 40,579.2 36,848.7Hong Kong 33,459.4 33,838.4India 29,063.9 29,048.1Indonesia 26,552.9 29,500.7Australia 25,922.3 30,781.9ROK 23,078.1 24,794.3

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

13

TABLE 6: MAJOR IMPORT PRODUCTS

ProductsNov

2015pOct

2015pNov

2014f

RM Million RM Million RM Million

Total Imports 57,393.1 63,645.6 52,599.1

Electrical and Electronic Products 17,548.2 19,217.2 15,366.5Chemicals & Chemical Products 5,419.6 5,579.5 5,085.2Petroleum Products 5,184.2 6,350.7 4,629.9

Machinery, Appliances & Parts 4,975.6 5,298.0 4,505.5Manufactures of Metal 3,405.6 4,049.5 3,896.3Transport Equipment 3,051.8 3,577.3 2,954.9

Optical & Scientific Equipment 1,933.3 2,046.4 1,816.7Textiles, Clothing & Footwear 1,567.9 1,512.3 692.2Iron & Steel Products 1,491.7 1,727.4 1,759.3

Processed Food 1,444.5 1,652.9 1,320.7

TABLE 7: MAJOR IMPORT SOURCES

MarketsNov

2015pOct

2015pNov

2014f

RM Million RM Million RM Million

Total Imports 57,393.1 63,645.6 52,599.1PRC 11,504.9 11,803.0 9,852.9Singapore 6,877.5 7,468.9 6,033.3USA 4,625.9 5,520.8 4,000.6Japan 4,148.7 4,794.6 4,147.4Thailand 3,828.4 4,047.0 3,296.6Taiwan 2,930.1 3,599.1 2,785.2ROK 2,838.5 3,005.6 2,239.5Indonesia 2,645.9 2,891.5 2,043.6Germany 1,952.3 2,029.0 1,807.5Vietnam 1,869.3 1,840.6 1,353.1

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

14

TABLE 8: MAJOR IMPORT PRODUCTS (JANUARY-NOVEMBER)

ProductsJan-Nov

2015pJan-Nov

2014f

RM Million RM Million

Total Imports 625,340.5 624,480.0Electrical & Electronic Products 183,639.6 174,430.9Chemicals & Chemical Products 59,034.1 57,068.7Petroleum Products 58,393.9 73,893.9Machinery, Appliances & Parts 54,266.9 52,088.9Manufactures of Metal 40,592.6 37,443.1Transport Equipment 33,401.6 34,076.2Iron & Steel Products 20,243.4 23,198.9Optical & Scientific Equipment 19,504.0 18,960.9Processed Food 16,006.2 15,565.9Textiles, Clothing & Footwear 14,208.1 8,483.3

TABLE 9: MAJOR IMPORT MARKETS (JANUARY-NOVEMBER)

MarketsJan-Nov

2015pJan-Nov

2014f

RM Million RM Million

Total Imports 625,340.5 624,480.0PRC 117,458.6 104,552.2Singapore 75,004.0 78,969.3USA 50,437.2 47,531.2Japan 49,028.5 50,191.9Thailand 37,803.0 36,067.0Taiwan 33,470.7 31,446.5ROK 28,421.5 29,170.8Indonesia 27,955.4 25,230.9Germany 21,403.6 21,217.1Vietnam 17,214.8 13,834.5

Source: Department of Statistics, MalaysiaTabulated by: MATRADE

Notes:p - provisional dataf – final data

Embargo until 1200 hours, Thursday, 7th

January 2016

CHART 1: MALAYSIA’S MONTHLY EXTERNAL TRADE PERFORMANCE, 2008-2015

Imports

Exports67.63

57.39

Trade Balance 10.23

Total Trade

125.02

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun Ju

lAug

Sep Oct

Nov

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015p

RM billion

Year/month

15